Snap-in push button operator



Feb. 14, 1967 J, E. STALLMAN 3,304,398

7 5NAP-IN PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR Filed Nov. 3, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb.14, 1967 J. E. STALLMAN 3,304,398

SNAP-IN PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR Filed Nov. 5, 1965 Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENT OR.

4 7 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,304,398 SNAP-IN PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR James E.Stallman, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Square 1) Company, Park Ridge, HL,a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 506,215 7 Claims.(Cl. 200-172) This invention relates to push type operators for pushbutton electric switches, and particularly to 'a lineally movable pushtype operator button and the combination thereof with a switch actuatorhaving a blind socket in its exposed outer end.

Heretofore, as fully disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.3,154,661, issued October 27, 1964, J. Bierenfeld, inventor, andentitled Insert for a Switch Button, actuators of such operators havebeen provided wherein the outer exposed ends which are adapted to beengaged by the thumb or finger of an operator have forwardly open blindsockets. The sockets generall are arranged so that identifying disksbearing selected colors or identifying indicia, for distinguishing theparticular switch operated by the push button operator, can be snapfastened therein.

The present operator button is of mushroom type and is arranged so thatit, instead of an identifying disk, can be readily snap fastened intoplace into the blind socket of a switch actuator of the type disclosedin the aboveidentified patent.

Specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description wherein reference is made to thedrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front end elevation of an operator button embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation of the operator button illustrated inFIG. 1, part thereof being shown in Section, as indicated by the line2-2 in FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of therear end portion of the operator button as indicated by the line 2a2a inFIG. 3, showing part of the snap fastening means thereof;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the operator button illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right ide elevation of an actuator, of a push buttonoperator, having a blind socket at its forward end, part thereof beingshown in section for clearness in illustration;

FIG. 5 is a right side elevation of a push button operator employing theoperator button of FIG. 1 and the actuator of FIG. 4 combined inoperative relation and mounted in a suitable switch support on anupright panel.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the operator illustrated inFIG. 5, on a reduced scale, showing the means for constraining theactuator thereof from rotation about its axis; and

FIG. 7 is -a top plan View of the actuator illustrated in FIG. 4, on areduced scale, showing the means for connecting the operator button andactuator so as to restrain them from rotation relative to each other.

Referring to the drawings, an operator button 1 of the mushroom type isillustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 and comprises a unitary structure of amolded synthetic plastic material, such as acetal and the like. Theoperator button 1 has at its forward end a head 2 which, on its forwardface, has a selected identifying or decorative design 3, shown as aseries of circles.

Extending rearwardly from the head 2 is a stem 4, which is preferably inthe form of a cylindrical tube concentric with, and of less diameterthan, the head 2.

At its rear end, the stem 4 is provided with an annular peripheralgroove 5 which faces generally radially outwardly of the stern and isspaced a short distance from the rear end of the stem. The portion ofthe stem rear- 3,3il4,398 Patented Feb. 14, 1967 wardly, from thegroove, is in the form of a nose 6 which is of less diameter than theremainder of the stem 4 and which has a slight t-aper, as indicated at 7in FIG. 2a, for guiding the rear end'of the stem into proper connectingposition with respect to a blind socket in the actuator of a push buttonoperator, a heretofore mentioned.

Referring next to FIG. 4, an electric switch push button actuator isillustrated and indicated generally .at 10. The actuator has a head 11in the forward end of which is a forwardly opening blind socket 12. Atthe outermost end of the socket 12, the head 11 has an inwardlyprotruding peripheral flange 13 which partly overhangs the base of thesocket. The socket is adapted normally to receive an indicia plate ordisk, which preferably is of plastic and which can be snapped past theinner periphery of the flange 13 and into the blind socket, whereuponboth the flange 13 and the disk self-restore themselves to the normalposition, thereby holding the disk firmly within the socket 12.

The actuator 10 has a stem 14 which, at its rear end, may also beprovided with a peripheral groove 15, and a rearwardly tapered noseportion 16, which correspond in form and function to the groove 5 andnose portion 6 of the operator button 1. The rear end portion of thestem has an axially extending notch 17, extending from the forward edgeof the groove 5 through the rear end of the stem 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the actuator 10 is normally mounted on asuitable base 18 which is adapted to be fas tened to the forward portionof a switch for supporting the switch with the switch push button inproper alignment with the actuator 10. The head 11 of the actuator 10 isin guiding relation, as indicated at 19, with the forward internalmarginal wall of the base 18. The stem 14 of the actuator 10 is inguiding relation to a shoulder 20 on a suitable annular rib 21 on theinterior of the base 18. A snap retainer ring 22 is provided and has aportion which is in snap fastening engagement with the groove 15 forlimiting the forward motion of the actuator 10. An annular springretainer 23 rests on the forward face of the rib 21 and engages the rearend of a return spring 24. The forward end of the spring engages theunderside of the head 11 of the actuator 10 and urges the actuatorforwardly.

The rib 21 has a counterbore opening forwardly therea of and closed atthe forward end by the retainer 23. An

oil seal washer 25 is disposed in the counterbore in sur roundingrelation to the stem 14 of the actuator. The base 18 is secured to apanel P, and held in place by a suitable ring nut 26. Oil seal washers27 are interposed between a flange 28 on the base 18 and the rear of thepanel P. Thus, it may operate in a conventional manner as described inthe above patent.

However, instead of inserting 'an identifying disk in the blind socket12, the rear end of the operator button 1 of FIGS. 1 through 3 isinserted into the blind socket and guided thereinto by engagement of thetapered portion 7 against the inner peripheral edge of the flange 13,until the groove 5 is aligned with, and can receive, the flange 13.

The material of the operator button 1 may be relatively stiff, butsomewhat resilient. The axially extending notch 17 alfords relief of thetwo halves of the rear end portion of the stem 4 so that they can yieldinwardly so as to better permit engagement of the groove 5 and theflange 13 at the forward end of the actuator 10.

Thus, with the present structure, the mushroom type operator button 1can be used directly as a push button for a switch, a retainer ring suchas the ring 22 being snapped into the groove 5 thereof. On the otherhand,

it can be combined with the normal line of push button actuator-s havingforwardly open sockets, such as the push button actuator by omitting orremoving the normal indicia disk from the blind socket 12 and snapfastening the rear end of the stem of the operator button thereinto, sothat the head of the operator button is disposed forwardly from the headof the actuator 10 and is aligned therewith.

In some instances it is desirable that the actuator be non-rotatableabout its axis and that the operator button be provided with suitableindicia, such as START, STOP, etc., and constrained from rotation by theactuator so that the words START and STOP appear in the proper positionfor reading. In such cases, the actuator stem 14 is provided at its rearend with a pair of diametrically opposite radial slots 29 which openthrough the rear end of the stem 14. The retainer ring 22 is providedwith tongues 30 which, when the washer is snap fastened onto the stem14, pass into the slots 29, respectively, and constrain the stem fromrotation relative to the ring about the axis of the stem. The retainerring 22 is also provided at its outer periphery with circumferentiallyspaced fingers 31 which engage the shoulders 32 on the base 18 andconstrain the ring 22 from rotation about the axis of the stem 14relative to the base. Thus, the actuator 16 is prevented from rotationabout its axis.

However, it may be necessary that the operator button 1 be installedindifferent rotated positions about the axis of the actuator in orderthat the legend, such as STOP, START, and the like will be in positionfor ease in reading. For this purpose, the operator button 1 is providedwith a pin 33 which extends endwise of the button 1 in eccentricrelation to the axis of the button. The actuator is provided with aplurality of' sockets 34 which are located in the base 'of the blindsocket 12, and open forwardly thereof. The sockets 34 are positionedoutwardly from the axis of the actuator and are spaced apartcircumferentially of the axis so that the pin 33 may be aligned with anyone of the sockets 34, selectively, before the operator button 1 iss'nap fastened into place on the actuator 10. Any number of thesesockets 34 may be provided, but generally four are adequate for allpurposes. Engagement of the pin 33 and a selected socket 34 retains theoperator button 1 in fixed circumferential position relative to theactuator 10, which, in turn, is secured in fixed circumferentialposition about its axis relative to the base 18.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An operator button comprising a unitary structure of relative stiff,resilient, self-restoring material and including a head, a stemextending rearwardly therefrom, the rear end of the stem being a guidingnose of reduced diameter with its peripheral wall divergent forwardly ofthe stem part way toward the head, and a radially open peripheral groovein the stem adjacent to said nose.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the stem 4- is tubular,notch means are provided in the peripheral wall of the stern near therear end thereof and are open at the rear thereof, and extend forwardlyat least substantially to the forward wall of the peripheral groove.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said head is ofthevmushroom type and projects radially outwardly beyond the peripheralwall of the stem. 4. A push button actuator member and operator buttonmember combination comprising an actuator member having a head and stem,said stem being adapted for mounting in a support for movement axiallyforwardly and rearwardly of the stem toward and away from the support,said head having in its forward end a socket opening forwardly and amarginal flange near the open end of the socket extending inwardly fromthe outer edge of the head, a mushroom operator button member having ahead and a stem extending rearwardly from its head, the stem of thebutton member having at its rear end a radially contractible, relativelystiff, self-restoring nose entered into the passage formed by the innerperiphery of the marginal flange of the actuator member, and the nosehaving a peripheral radially open groove aligned with the said flange,said flange, seated in said groove, securing the operator button memberin coaxial relation, and in fixed position axially, with respect to theactuator member.

5. A structure according to claim' 4 wherein the socket in the actuatoris a shallow blind socket adapted to accommodate a thin indicia bearingdisk, and the inner end of the button stem is substantially in contactwith the bottom of the socket when the flange of the button is seated insaid groove of the operator.

6. The structure according to claim 4 wherein one of the members has aprojection extending endwise thereof in eccentric relation to the axisof the stem of the actuator,

the other member has a plurality of sockets in eccentric relation to,and spaced circumferentially about said axis, and spaced outwardly fromthe axis so as to be aligned, selectively, with the projection uponrelative rotation of the members about said axis, and

said projection engaged With the selected one of the sockets when theflange is seated in said groove, thereby constraining the members fromrelative rotation about said axis.

7. The structure according to claim 6 wherein the sockets are in thebottom wall of the blindsocket of the actuator member, and theprojection is on the operator button member.

No references cited.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner. H. O. I ONES, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN OPERATOR BUTTON COMPRISING A UNITARY STRUCTURE OF RELATIVE STIFF, RESILIENT, SELF-RESTORING MATERIAL AND INCLUDING A HEAD, A STEM EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM, THE REAR END OF THE STEM BEING A GUIDING NOSE OF REDUCED DIAMETER WITH ITS PERIPHERAL WALL DIVERGENT FORWARDLY OF THE STEM PART WAY TOWARD THE HEAD, AND A RADIALLY OPEN PERIPHERAL GROOVE IN THE STEM ADJACENT TO SAID NOSE. 